Opus IV: The pinwheel saga continues

[Scottie-TX]

LAB goes, "oh grooooan!"
Only TWO pins this time LAB.
This one more complete with a beautiful dial and very nice repro hands.
Arrived yesterday, none the worse for very poor packing and just the way you'd want it. Preserved in filth and excessive oil and greased with only minimal blodges. About a 620 roundhead screw forced into the anchor collar and something resembling the bottom end of a cup hook forced into the suspension hanger. . . . . . . . . and that's where the fun began! I pried on it, I smacked it, I twisted on it - the cuphook - I heated it, smacked it some more, twisted it some more - SMACKED it again harder. This sucker was NOT gonna move. Often this means, "threaded". Nope. Not this time. Put it away. DANG! Bedtime.
This eve: Sawed thru it at the gap on both sides releasing the hanger. Now a severe impact dislodged the countersunk portion from one side. Thru the now open bore, smacked the remaining piece. NOPE! I learned at this point that this hole is not parallel to hanger. (?) Sawed off the protruding part, weakened it with an undersized drill and drove it out.
VOILA!

[al_taka]

And here you thought it was going to be difficult :bang:
Piece of Cake

[Scottie-TX]

Now the enigma: Note that the two holes in the hanger - drill bits inserted to show you - are not parallel to each other and both are tapered. What's going on here. What's this all about?
http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a430gS*quCR9kz3*EmSe-TtMRtaqc8IBcvrsv4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg
Then, this teardrop shaped hole in the lower suspension piece. Has this any signifigance? What's this all about? Why a teardrop shaped hole? Lower half does not fill the gap in hanger so probably not original. I'll hafta make another or build this one out to fill the gap. No wobbly suspension in MY pinwheel.
http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a430gS*quCR9kz3*EmSe-TtMRrom-5VrBAhZv4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg

[shutterbug]

Just stick a 20 pound pendulum on it. Should straighten right out (i)

[harold bain]

I was watching that one on fleabay, Scottie. Looked like a pretty good deal. I couldn't convince my wife that "just a movement" with no case or pendulum was worth that much:?|

[Scottie-TX]

"Worth that much"? WORTH that MUCH? I've NEVER seen one go this low or I wouldn't have it! I paid nearly that much for one with no dial, no hands, half the pins missing and blodged to oblivion. This was indeed a bargin and you know it. FOURTEEN inch, perfect dial.

[Scottie-TX]

Thinking about it more and looking at the picture of the hanger: I see the sides of the gap are not parallel. Now I don't know why someone would want to widen the gap at the top but I'll bet at one time them holes were parallel and someone pried open the gap for their purpose. Still don't know why the holes are tapered but I'll bet that gap needs closed and the holes made parallel.
Whaddya tink?

[leeinv66]

I think you are right on the money Scottie! Close the gap and the problem should fix its self:thumb:

[Sooth]

I think the holes are tapered simply because they are meant to be fitted with a taper pin to secure the suspension.

Did I miss photos of the movement in another thread? I'd be very interested to see this clock.

[harold bain]

Sooth, ebay # 200228690785.
Scottie, yes it was a bargain price. Those thick plates had me drooling on my keyboard, just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on it:bang:

[Scottie-TX]

Well SOO, I understand the tapered holes and possible reason for it but I don't understand the two holes are tapered in opposing directions. I COULD understand a taper progression between the two - complementary.
Here's the picture you requested SOO. Alas, it's the Dali version. One plate done; pallet arbor assy. finished. Man is this fun!

[Sooth]

That is an absolutely GORGEOUS movement. I really hope that you can find (or have made) a beautiful lyre pendulum to go with it. I know that there are a few clockmakers out there who make hand-hammered brass bobs. Unless you prefer to look for a complete (old) assembly.

[Scottie-TX]

Well, for me right now, this one'll hafta do - and it will, quite nice. A Hermle I stole for sixty four bucks works perfect. It served Opus III . Yeah; I'd like to have the real thing - we discussed it before - a compensated grid or better still a mercury jar pendulum. But until one comes along:

[shutterbug]

Sooth, ebay # 200228690785.
Scottie, yes it was a bargain price. Those thick plates had me drooling on my keyboard, just couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger on it:bang:

I was looking too, but my wife gets really nervous when I'm still looking when the price approaches four figures :) Congrats, Scottie!

[Scottie-TX]

Yeah. I know. When I wuz married, my wife didn't like me looking at other figgers either.

[Scottie-TX]

Now, the cage: Nearly finished stripping very sloppily applied brush paint, sagging everywhere, am trying to decide how to finish the cage or whether to put a finish on it.
Reckon how these were finished from the factory?
I'm leaning a little toward black hammertone if that's even available.

[Sooth]

I would think a gloss black was used. It's durable, and easy to clean, and would look nice next to the brass parts.

[Scottie-TX]

Here's mine, DOBie: Mine currently on eight pounds and would run on less but I doubt it'd run a lot less. I decided to leave the birdcage as is with no refinishing. Clean now, with a lot of the original paint still showing except on top - I like it's rustic, clean appearance. LAB's expertise and two replaced wheel pins made this possible. Thanks LAB! Here, OPUS IV ready for dial and hands.

[bangster]

Now the enigma: Note that the two holes in the hanger - drill bits inserted to show you - are not parallel to each other and both are tapered. What's going on here. What's this all about?
http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a430gS*quCR9kz3*EmSe-TtMRtaqc8IBcvrsv4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg
Then, this teardrop shaped hole in the lower suspension piece. Has this any signifigance? What's this all about? Why a teardrop shaped hole? Lower half does not fill the gap in hanger so probably not original. I'll hafta make another or build this one out to fill the gap. No wobbly suspension in MY pinwheel.
http://links.pictures.aol.com/pic/a430gS*quCR9kz3*EmSe-TtMRrom-5VrBAhZv4xQp5Fd3Ig=_l.jpg



Pics didn't show up. Can you post them again?

[Scottie-TX]

Naw; Really can't since I no longer have the picture - probably hosted and dumped by AOL, and the problem has been addressed and corrected. However the very first picture that opened the topic shows it. The pix absent would have been a closeup of that one.

[shutterbug]

Very nice restoration! I agree that the pendulum don't quite do it :)

[Scottie-TX]

Took a small setback this afternoon: Midst lowering the bob to improve reg., wouldn't restart. After a lot of investigation, found the power maintenance had somehow deprived the movement of power. I lucked out by finding when I removed the weight, that the movement worked find on power mtc. Re-attached weight - working fine again.
Something I need to know about power maintaining or how this could occur?

[Ralph]

The weight has to be large enough to preload the maintaining power spring... or conversely, the spring has to be weak enough to be loaded by the weight.

Some people will load up the MP spring, by winding in reverse, before actually winding.

Ralph

[Scottie-TX]

Thanks RALPH! I'll try that backwind. Previously I've never had this problem and mahaps it was a fluke - a one time deal. Weight is ample for loading the power maint. I can observe it advancing the clickwheel when I hang the weight.

[shutterbug]

Thanks RALPH! I'll try that backwind. Previously I've never had this problem and mahaps it was a fluke - a one time deal. Weight is ample for loading the power maint. I can observe it advancing the clickwheel when I hang the weight.
The one time I ran into it was a movement just like yours. A slight tug on the weight seemed to fix it.